The present invention is directed to an assembly for mounting a radio or equivalent apparatus in an automobile dashboard.
It is common today for automobile owners to replace the original automotive radio equipment or to install their own radio into a recently purchased automobile. The radio is installed in a cavity of the automobile dash, typically by means of a mounting frame and bracket assembly. A trim frame is sometimes positioned around the mounted radio contiguous the dash.
The precise dimensions of the automotive dash cavities and the manner for mounting radios differ between various types and models of automobiles. Automobiles manufactured by different companies, and sometimes automobiles from the same manufacturer, are designed with dash cavities for receiving different sized radio mounting assemblies. Thus, when installing a radio in a particular automobile a specific mounting assembly designed for that particular automobile dash cavity must be purchased.
It would thus be highly desirable to provide a mounting assembly which could be used to install radios in different automobiles. While a universal mounting bracket for all makes and models of cars is probably prohibitive, a universal mounting assembly for one particular manufacturer's automobiles or at least a large number of such maker's automobiles would still be beneficial.
A universal mounting bracket for a wide variety of General Motors automobiles, in particular the new General Motors M-2000 series radio chassis, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,564 issued to Alves et al., July 31, 1984. This particular universal mounting assembly provides a mounting frame having a box-like structure into which the radio is received. The front panel of the mounting assembly is provided with cutouts through which the tuning, volume and other control mechanisms of the radio are positioned. The side walls of the disclosed assembly are provided with a plurality of rearwardly extending slots in which mounting brackets are adjustably secured for facilitating the mounting of the assembly, with the radio, in the dashboard cavity of the automobile.
While this disclosed assembly provides a universal mounting assembly for installing radios in various car models, in particular certain General Motors cars, there are disadvantages in its use. One particular disadvantage involves the securing of the brackets in the mounting frame rearwardly extending slots. The installer must select the proper slot or slots for use with a particular automobile, which is often confusing and difficult with the many slots and many automobiles involved. In addition, the bolts used to secure the brackets in the slots loosen normally over time. These now loosened brackets tend to slide in the slots causing the entire assembly to laterally move in and out of the dash cavity. This movement usually is only eliminated by re-torquing the bolts which requires disassembly of the dash. A further disadvantage is that during installation, and also the re-torquing operation, the precise position of each bracket in the specific rearwardly extending slot is determined by repetitively assembling the various brackets in the slots, inserting the assembly in the dash cavity to determine if the brackets are properly positioned, and, if necessary re-positioning and securing the brackets in the slots. This necessitates an extensive amount of time to determine the precise location for each bracket in each slot.
It thus remains desirable to provide an automotive dashboard radio mounting assembly which is useful for installing radios in numerous types of automobiles and which provides for a simplified installation operation.